Children&#39;s Furniture

ABSTRACT

Children&#39;s furniture for organizing clothing and accessories is described herein. The furniture, a Valet System, is shaped in the form of a young boy or young girl. The Valet System comprises a plurality of devices for holding or storing clothing and accessories such as notched bars, clips, drawers, and cabinets.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/481,316 filed 9 Sep. 2014 (316 application), now pending, whichclaims the benefit to U.S. provisional application No. 61/875,909, filed10 Sep. 2013 ('909 application). The foregoing applications are herebyincorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is generally related to furniture. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure is directed to children's furnituresuch as furniture for storing and organizing shirts, dresses, shorts,pants, skirts, shoes, accessories, and other items.

Most items of children's furniture are box-like storage bins andstandard dressers having a box-like shape. Although the furniture can bepainted in various aesthetically pleasing colors, there has not beeninnovation over the years in terms of how items are stored anddisplayed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide an item of furniturewhich has an improved aesthetic appearance and provides greater interestto a user of the same.

Disclosed herein is a system for organizing children's clothes, shoes,accessories, etc. referred to herein as a “Valet System,” such as the MYLITTLE VALET™ system by Inventive Momma, LLC. In certain aspects of theinvention, the Valet System has bodily features of a girl or boy. Forexample, the top of the system may be in the shape of a girl's face or aboy's face. The front of the face may optionally have a mirror. In someembodiments of the invention, the mirror is at the height of a child'sface, e.g., proportionate to a child. The middle portion of the ValetSystem may be designed to look like a girl's outfit or a boy's outfit.The system acts as a storage and organizational unit for variousarticles of children's clothing, accessories, and toys.

The Valet System has various hooks, bars, shelves, drawers, cabinets,hooks, clips, and pegs. For example, the front of the system may haveclips or bars or hooks to hold a child's pants, shirt, dress, or skirt.The front of the system may also have a fixed or cascading hangersystem.

In some embodiments, the head portion of the system may be removable andinterchangeable with a shelf and/or tray. In other embodiments the headportion is permanently fixed on the system. The color of the hair on thehead portion may be a color such as yellow, brown, black, red.

The Valet System may further comprise a power connection, whichfunctions to receive electrical power from an existing (e.g., household)power outlet. In some embodiments, the power connection may beincorporated within the base of the assembly. The Valet System may bepre-wired for items such as telephone jacks, speaker wires, USB chargingoutlets, and power outlets. In some embodiments, the Valet System ispre-wired for speaker wires and speakers are incorporated into thesystem.

The Valet System may be constructed of wood and have a natural stainfinish. In other embodiments, the Valet System is constructed of woodand has colored laminate finishes. In other embodiments, the ValetSystem is constructed of wood and has painted or printed graphics. Othermaterials such as lightweight molded plastic materials, metal, stone orvarious combinations of any of the aforementioned materials may be usedin construction of the Valet System.

In some embodiments, the Valet System is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, produce, and distribute. It is a further object of theinvention to provide the Valet System manufactured in a variety ofsizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front and partial side perspective view of a female versionof the Valet System organizational system. FIG. 1B is a front andpartial side perspective view of an additional female version of theValet System organizational system.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are front plan views of a female version of the ValetSystem organizational system. FIG. 2C is a side plan view of a ValetSystem organizational system.

FIG. 3A is a front and partial side perspective view of a female versionof the Valet System organizational system. FIG. 3B is a rear plan viewof a female version of the Valet System organizational system.

FIG. 4A is a front and partial side perspective view of an alternativeexemplary embodiment of a Valet System organizational system. FIG. 4Billustrates a rear and partial side perspective view of the alternativeexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front and partial side perspective view of a male version ofthe Valet System organizational system.

FIG. 6 is a front plan view of a male version of the Valet System.

FIG. 7 is a front plan view of an additional male version of the ValetSystem.

FIG. 8 is a side plan view of a male version of the Valet Systemorganizational system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein are children's furniture items. Referring to FIGS. 1-3,a Valet System, indicated generally as 1, is constructed of solid wood,plywood, wood laminate, MDF, particleboard, or other suitable furnitureconstruction materials. The furniture described herein can be usedindoors and is sized and dimensioned to fit in a child's bedroom or playroom. Varying sized furniture may be used for children of differentages.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show two variations of the Valet System 1. The height ofthe Valet System 1 may be from about 40-60 inches. In some embodiments,the height may be from about 42-58 inches, 44-56 inches, 46-54 inches,48-54 inches, 50-54 inches, or 52-54 inches. The Valet System 1comprises a front 31, two sides 32, a base 2, and a back 33 (not shownin FIGS. 1A and 1B). The Valet System 1 further comprises a top part 30,which can be in the shape of a boy's head or a girl's head, and whichhas a front surface and a back surface. The front surface of top part 30can be decorated to have hair and accessories appropriate for a boy orgirl. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, top part 30 has girl'shair and a hair bow. In some embodiments the hair bow is constructed ofwood and is part of the same piece of wood as the hair and face of toppart 30. In other embodiments, the hair bow is engineered from a wireform and is attached to top part 30. In other embodiments, top part 30may be configured to have boy's hair and a baseball cap. The ValetSystem 1 may be customized and/or personalized for the end-user whereinthe hair color on the top part 30 may any of a variety of colors such asblonde, black, brown, red, and the depicted accessories can be adjustedto the customer's liking (e.g., a baseball cap for a favorite team). Thetop part 30 may further comprise a mirror 3 on the front surface. Theheight of the Valet System 1 can be selected in order to enable a childto see his or her reflection in the mirror 3. In some embodiments, theValet System 1 has a telescoping top part 30 that allows the height ofthe top part 30 to be adjusted.

Below the top part 30, the front 31 of the Valet System 1 is designed tolook like a girl's outfit or a boy's outfit. For example, as shown inFIGS. 1A and 1B, the outfit is a girl's shirt and jumper. Other possibleoutfits include a skirt and shirt, a dress, a bathing suit, and a shirtand shorts. One or more notched bars 4 protrude from the front 31 of theValet System 1. The notched bars 4 are sized and configured to hold aplurality of clothing hangers (e.g., the hangers can rest in thenotches/detents). In other embodiments, the Valet System may compriseone or more fixed hanger or cascading hanger systems. Each notched bar 4may protrude the same distance from the front 31. In other embodiments,the notched bars 4 extend at different lengths from the front 31. Asshown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the notched bars 4 may be spaced apart so thatthe bottom of a shirt hanging on the top notched bar 4 hitsapproximately at the second notched bar 4. In some embodiments, thefront 31 may have a notched bar 4 a quarter of the distance from the topof the unit to the bottom and another notched bar 4 at the midway pointfrom the top of the unit to the bottom. In other embodiments, thenotched bars 4 are removable and can be placed at a variety oflocations. At least one of the two sides 32 may also have a plurality ofnotched bars 4.

The front 31 of the Valet System 1 may also have a plurality of clips 6to hold articles of clothing such as skirts, shorts, pants, socks, andtights.

The middle portion of the Valet System 1 may further comprise a cabinethaving a door 5 that opens. In some embodiments, the Valet System 1 hasarms 10 as shown in FIG. 1B. In other embodiments, instead of arms 10there are bars 12 as shown in FIG. 1A. The bars 12 may be configured tohold necklaces, baseball hats, bracelets, and other accessories.

The bottom portion of the Valet System 1 is configured to look like twolegs 34 and feet 8. The bottom of the feet 8 is attached to the top sideof the base 2. In some embodiments, the feet 8 are telescoping and mayextend to adjust the overall height of the Valet System 1. The feet 8may be secured to the base by glue, nails, screws, or other suitablemeans. In some embodiments, the feet 8 may be hollow and can serve as areceptacle 9 configured to hold a pair of shoes. In such embodiments,the feet 8 may have a lid 15 attached by a hinge or other fasteningmechanism to the feet 8 as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

Side 32 may include one or more drawers 7. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B,the drawers 7 may extend entirely across the width of the Valet System1. The width of the drawers 7 may be about 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 inches.Alternatively, each side 32 can include one or more drawers. Suchdrawers can extend across the width of the Valet System 1 by any desireddistance. For example, the drawers can extend across the entire width ofthe Valet System 1, with pulls on alternating sides 32. As anotherexample, the drawers can extend only half of the width of the ValetSystem 1, with pulls on both sides 32.

The base 2 of the Valet System 1 preferably has a diameter of betweenabout 20-30 inches. More preferably the diameter is between about 22-28inches. Even more preferably the diameter is between about 24-26 inches.The base 2 may have wheels such as recessed rubber caster-wheels (notshown). A plurality of caster wheels may be mounted to the bottomsurface of the base 2. In some embodiments, the caster wheels are rubberand recessed so that the base 2 is one half of an inch to one inch abovethe surface upon which it sits.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate further views of the Valet System 1. FIG. 2Aillustrates the interior of the cabinet 5. Cabinet 5 may comprise one ormore shelves 11. FIG. 2B shows another view of the front 31 of the ValetSystem 1.

FIG. 2C is a side view of the Valet System. The example shown in FIG. 2Ccomprises three drawers 7 having a width of about 3-4 inches. The ValetSystem 1 may comprise a power connector, which functions to receiveelectrical power from an existing power outlet, such as a standardhousehold outlet. In some embodiments, the power connector may beincorporated within the base 2 of the assembly. The power connector isconnected to a power outlet 18. The power outlet 18 may be a USBcharging outlet or an AC outlet such as a NEMA 1-15 socket, NEMA 5-15socket, or a NEMA 20 A socket. The power outlet 18 may be located on theback 33 of the Valet System 1. The Valet System 1 may also be pre-wiredfor items such as telephone jacks and speaker wires. In someembodiments, the Valet System is pre-wired for speaker wires andspeakers are incorporated into the system. In addition, in someembodiments the Valet System is pre-wired for a lamp and/or nightlight.

FIGS. 5-8 illustrate a male version of the Valet System 1 a withfeatures similar to the female Valet System 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate alternate views of an embodiment of the ValetSystem 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the top part 30 may beinterchangeable with a tray 13. The tray 13 and the top part 30 wouldeach have an appendage 40 that fit within a hollow portion of the ValetSystem 1. The tray 13 could have any sized shape such as oval,polygonal, circular, square, or rectangular. The tray 13 may furthercomprise an edge or lip 14.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3A comprises a door 5. The door 5 has amirror 16. When the door 5 is open, at least one of two shelves 11 isaccessible. When the door 5 is open, drawers 7 may also be accessible.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the back 33 of the Valet System 1 may have a growthchart 17. The surface of the back 33 may be wood, a blackboard finish, alaminate or some other finish that allows both permanent andnon-permanent marking with pens, markers, chalk, and other writinginstruments. The growth chart 17 may extend from the base 2 of the ValetSystem 1 to the top of the Valet System 1. The back 33 may also compriseone or more notched bars 4 configured to hold items such as jackets andbackpacks. In some embodiments, the back 33 may have a calendar whereinthe dates and months can be filled in and changed, e.g., on a blackboardsurface or on a dry erase board surface.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another version of the Valet System 20. Thehead, body, and legs portion of the Valet System 20 may be cut from asingle piece of solid wood, plywood, wood laminate, MDF, particleboard,or other suitable furniture construction materials. In otherembodiments, the Valet System 20 may be formed of molded plastic. Anadvantage of using molded plastic to make the Valet System 20 is that itis relatively inexpensive to manufacture, produce, and distribute.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the Valet System 20 may have a plurality of hooks21 on its front side. In other embodiments, the Valet System 20 may havea plurality of notched bars 4. The Valet System 20 may also have aplurality of clips 22 on its front.

The rear of the Valet System 20, shown in FIG. 4B, may have a pluralityof bars 25 protruding from the rear surface. The bars 25 are configuredto hold a plurality of hangers, necklaces, hats, headbands, and otheritems, as shown in FIG. 4B.

At the base of the Valet System 20 are feet 23. The feet 23 are securedto the base 24. The feet 23 are configured to have shoes rest on theirsurface.

It is intended that all matter contained in the above description orshown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrativeonly and not limiting. It is also intended that features of theindividual Valet Systems are interchangeable and may be added orsubtracted from additional embodiments. Changes in detail or structuremay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

1-3. (canceled)
 4. An organization system comprising: a top portion; amiddle portion; and a bottom portion; wherein the bottom portion isfixed to a base, and further wherein the bottom portion comprises abottom region that extends outward, wherein the bottom region comprisesa top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is angledand wherein the bottom surface is fixed to the base, and further whereinthe top surface is configured to hold shoes.
 5. The organization systemof claim 4, wherein the organization system is comprised of a moldedplastic.
 6. The organization system of claim 4, wherein the middleportion comprises a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the rearsurface comprises a plurality of bars that protrude from the rearsurface.
 7. The organization system of claim 5, wherein the middleportion comprises a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the rearsurface comprises a plurality of bars that protrude from the rearsurface.